Nonrefillable bottle



May 20, 1941.

v N. s. TICE NONREFILLABLEI BOTTLE Original Filed March 19, 1937 e w T 5 n a N R O T N E v m Patented May 20, 1941 Substitute for abandoned application Serial No.

131,925, March 19, 1937. 8, 1940, Serial No. 339,543

3 Claims. v(Cl. 215- 25) This invention relates to uniflow valve apparatus, particularly of the kind applicable to containers to prevent refilling thereof.

This case is a substitute for abandoned appli cation Serial No. 131,925 filed March 19, 1937.

The chief object is to provide a device of this kind which can be inserted with facility as a unit in any type of container, but more preferably one with an elongated neck like a bottle neck, and which, once inside, cannot be removed without leaving visible evidence of the removal.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which Will render the container non-refillable even when an attempt is made to refill it by evacuating the air from the container to create a partial vacuum while attempting to inject a liquid under pressure,

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will comprise much fewer and simpler parts than the ordinary device of this class, whereby it can be manuiactured on the large scale and sold cheaply.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will include a non-return valve, for example of the caged-ball type, in combination with other valve means in which the said other valve means will be adapted to cooperate with and be actuated by the ball of said first valve, on occasion.

The other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more manifest as this as this specification proceeds.

The presently preferred embodiment of the inventive concepts is shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following matter, only by way of example, the invention being limited in its embodiments only by the scope of the sub-joined claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional partly elevational view of the device applied to a bottle, such as a beverage bottle, standing in its upright position;

Figure 2 is a partly sectional, partly elevational view of the same bottle tilted to the pouring position.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the three simple parts which constitute the Working elements of the device, and

Figure 4 is substantially a sectional view of the irregularly weighted valve member.

The device shown in the drawing comprises a container having a neck I and a ductile covering l for use around the opening thereof, and a closure such as a cork l for the bottle. The

This application June device also comprises a casing 2, which is adapted to be inserted and permanently affixed, if desired, in the neck of the container, the casing having an aperture 4 at one end and a larger aperture 4 at the other end.

The smaller aperture 4 has a valve seat 3 formed on its upper periphery and a spherical member 5, preferably weighted more in its lower hemisphere than in its upper, is adapted to seat and unseat on the portion 3. Details of the construction of the spherical member 5 are best shown in Figure 4, wherein it will be noted that the member 5 is substantially hollow in the upper part but solid in the lower part 5A substantially as shown. A member 6, shown most clearly in Figure 3 as comprising an affair resembling a four-legged stool, and consisting of a truncated cone with foraminous sides defining legs 8 having an upper fiat surface 1 containing an aperture i, is provided to rest on the bottom of the casing surrounding the ball valve, so that the plane surface 1 is of considerably smaller diameter than the base of the casing and is spaced an appreciable distance therefrom.

A disc member 9 is provided near the uppermost end of the casing, and this disc member bears a plurality of vertically and radially extending vanes Ill defining axial channels between the closure member I" and the sides of the casing thereto adjacent.

The disc 9 bears a stepped spindle ll having a portion 30 protruding thru the aperture 1 into the zone of movement of the ball 5.

A disc-member I3 is provided to reciprocate, under gravitational forces, between a shoulder 3| and the plane surface 1 on the spindle II. This disc member has a hub M for engagement with the member H. The disc member bears a plurality of sectional ports I4 lying between the hub and the periphery of the disc, and, when the disc is in contact with the surface I, lying well within the periphery of the surface I, as shown in Figure 1.

The ductile material I is adapted to be sealed to the closure I" over a gasket 32 which seals the casing to the ductile material, thereby rendering the bottle fluid-tight.

As shown in Figure 2, when it is desired to pour from the bottle, it is tilted sufficiently to allow gravity to roll the ball 5 toward the protuberance 30, thereby uncovering the port 4 and opening passageways between the members 8 toward the side of casing. If the bottle is tipped quickly enough to make the ball strike the protuberance 30 a sharp blow, and if the member 13 should happen to be adhering to the member I by capillary attraction of the residue of the last pouring from the bottle, it will be gently but firmly dislodged from its adhesion with the member 1 and will move into contact with the shoulder 3|, thus opening passageways thru the member l4, and thru the actual passageways defined by the vanes I and so on out of the bottle.

When the bottle is returned to its normal vertical position, both the ball valve 5 and the disc valve l3 are so seated, as shown in Figure 1, that it is impossible to even force liquid or other material, under pressures of economic feasibility, into the container. Thus the bottle is, for all practical purposes, a completely non-refillable container, but on occasion very easily emptied.

her having apertures therein adapted on occasion to permit passage of material out of the casing.

2. A uniflow fluid discharge apparatus, comprising a casing having an opening in one end, said opening having a seat therearound, the casing having a larger opening in the other end, an unevenly weighted substantially spherical member adapted to fit said seat, restraining and guiding means for said weighted member, means adapted to fit the opening at the other end of said casing comprising a plate, vanes carried on said plate adapted to abut against the sides of said casing whereby the plate is held in spaced relationship relative to the walls of said casing, a depending member attached to said plate defining an annular flow way, and perforated means adapted to reciprocate on said. depending member to alternately close and open said annular flow way out of said casing.

3. In a device of the character described, and including a casing having an opening at its lower end, a ball valve for closing said opening, a foraminous cage for retaining same in operable position, said cage having a substantially flat top of lesser diameter than the casing, and means for closing the annular passageways between the top of the valve cage and the casing, said means comprising a ring having a hub, and including sectorial perforations of its area.

NORMAN S. TICE. 

